A Lifetime
by frodolove12
Summary: While waiting in Dumbledore's office, Harry and Snape are suddenly transported into a series of unending memories. In response to 'Through the eyes of Severus Snape' challenge by watercrystals on Potionsandsnitches.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello everyone! I know I shouldn't be starting another fic when I have so many not finished…but….. oh well. Please read and review! I'd love to hear what you have to think! :)

Twilight was beginning to fall outside, the light turning to the dusty black that falls just before the darkness of night. Normally, this was Snape's favorite time of day, since he would be done teaching. He could go down to his room, make himself a cup of tea, get out a book, and relax by the fire. The smell of the smoke always calmed him, and the sound of the turning pages soothed his frayed nerves.

But now Snape's tranquility had been snatched from him by the boy sitting next to him. It always had to be something with Potter, didn't it? They were barely two weeks into term and he had already caused problems for Snape.

Potter's arms were crossed across his chest, his inky black hair as untidy as ever, his glasses slightly crooked. Really, couldn't he at least make himself presentable for the headmaster?

Harry was staring straight ahead, avoiding all contact with Snape. It was just like Snape to drag him to Dumbledore for something he hadn't even done. It had been all Draco's fault.

Two o'clock that day had found Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing outside the door to the Potions classroom. Potions would have been bad enough, but it was double Potions with the Slytherins. What a perfect way to end the day.

When the door had swung open, the three Gryffindors had been at the back of the crowd of students. Which meant that they had been left the seat behind Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

With a sigh, Harry sat down, Ron and Hermione on either side of him. It wasn't long before Malfoy noticed who was sitting behind him.

"Good summer, Potter? Anyone else you know dead yet?" said Malfoy, a smirk on his face.

Harry clenched his teeth, biting back his retort. Snape had just walked into the room, his black robes billowing out behind him, the classroom door swinging shut with a heavy bang. All traces of happy chatter had vanished as soon as Snape had entered.

"Today we shall be brewing a simple Calming Drought. The instructions are on the board," said Snape, flicking his wand.

"Once you are done, I shall be coming around to check your potions. You have until the end of class," continued Snape, his gaze sweeping across the classroom.

Harry retrieved his ingredients from the cupboard at the front of the classroom and made his way back to his seat. He felt oddly detached from his potion, his thoughts wandering to what Draco had said to him.

Draco's comment had made his temper rise yet again. This summer had been especially hard, having been left all alone after Cedric's death. Harry's stomach seemed to sink as he thought about Cedric. Nightmares had plagued him all summer, and he saw those lifeless eyes, the stiff body. _Stop. Just stop. _Harry told himself, turning his attention back to his potion.

It must have happened when Harry and Ron went back up to get some ingredients they needed more of. Hermione, engrossed in her own potion, wouldn't have seen. But as Harry returned to his seat, he saw that his previously yellow potion had turned bright blue.

_How did this happen? _Thought Harry frantically. Malfoy turned around to look at him, that horrible smirk back on his face, and held up a little bottle.

Harry, frozen to the spot with anger, didn't have time to do anything. Snape had already started making his way around the room, and was nearing Harry dangerously fast.

"Potter, I thought I told you to make a Calming Drought," said Snape, reaching Harry's table at last, his voice laced with venom. "It seems that you are incapable of following the simplest directions. A second year could have made this potion better."

Opening his mouth to reply, Harry was suddenly silenced by a loud noise coming from behind him. Turning around just in time to see it, Harry watched with horror as his caldron exploded, electric blue liquid spraying out everywhere.

It seemed to take forever to calm everyone down. Screaming students who had ran out of the classroom needed to be rounded up, and the mess had to be cleaned.

That was when Snape had dismissed the other students.

"Potter," Snape said. Harry was surprised he could say one word with so much malice.

Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks before heading out the door, glancing back at Harry.

Harry felt horribly trapped as the door closed behind him. Facing an angry Snape was definitely not on his to do list.

"The Great Harry Potter, too good for the mundane Potions lesson. He decides to make it more exciting," snarled Snape, his face white with anger.

"That's not what happened!" began Harry hotly.

"Your flimsy protests don't matter to me, Potter. Do you even realize you could have seriously injured one of your classmates?" Snape continued, clearly getting angrier.

"But-" began Harry, trying to explain. Why wouldn't Snape listen to him?

"I think the headmaster will be very interested to hear about this," said Snape, smiling.

"But I didn't do it!" shouted Harry, trying to make Snape understand.

"It is not very wise to yell at me, Potter," growled Snape.

Harry gulped as Snape roughly grabbed his arm and walked him out of the room, clearly taking him to Dumbledore's office.

Where in the world was Dumbledore? They had been waiting here for over twenty minutes, and Snape had a headache. A quick glance at Potter revealed he was still staring straight ahead.

Snape stood up and began impatiently pacing the room. Suddenly, everything began to blur. Snape wondered if this had something to do with his headache, but then the room began to spin and he felt as if he were falling.

Then, everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well here's the next chapter! Thanks you to all the lovely reviewers! Tell me what you think :)

Harry's stomach rumbled with hunger, but he chose to ignore it. How long had they been sitting here? It seemed like hours. His thoughts drifted toward Ron and Hermione, who were probably downstairs enjoying dinner right now. He could be too, if it weren't for Snape.

Harry was caught up in his angry thoughts about Snape when his vision was filled with black spots. He wasn't that angry, was he? He blinked a few times, only to find his vision spinning. Was he passing out? What was going on?

Harry stood, his chair tumbling to the ground with a loud bang. . He frantically glanced around for Snape, but he was nowhere to be seen. Was Snape doing all of this as some form of revenge?

Trying to walk toward the door proved to be a bad idea. As the blackness closed around him, a swooping sensation filled his stomach, and he felt as if he were falling face first from a great height.

"Potter!" Harry's ears processed the harsh tone before he slowly opened his eyes to the scowling face of Severus Snape.

"Wha-" began Harry, but stopped as he took in their surroundings. They were in a small, dark room its walls bare and dirty. A few flies buzzed around the yellowish light a light bulb on the ceiling was emitting. Harry stood, turning around to see the rest of the room. A large crack was running along the wall over a tiny bed. It looked as if something heavy had been thrown there. An attempt had been made to cover up the crack by a Slytherin banner that was hung on it, the silver on the banner peeling and fading away.

"What is this? Where are we? Why aren't we at Hogwarts anymore?" Harry asked, intensely curious now that he had seen the dull little room they were in.

He turned around to face Snape, who hadn't said anything since he had woken Harry. Harry was surprised at Snape's expression; his face was drained of all color and his lips were tightly compressed, his hands shaking slightly.

"We're leaving. Now." Snape's tone was harsh, finality echoing through it. Harry didn't dare ask Snape another question when he looked so dangerous.

Even though Harry didn't understand why Snape was desperate to leave, he walked toward the door. Snape was close behind him, practically on his heels. Reaching for the doorknob, Harry was met with a surprise. His hand went straight through it.

"What is it Potter?" snapped Snape.

"Uh, Professor, we have a problem," answered Harry, trying not to make Snape mad.

"What in the world are you talking about? Just open the damn door," said Snape, clearly beginning to lose his temper.

"I can't open it!" said Harry, frustration rising in him.

"Don't be absurd, you idiot," said Snape, pushing Harry roughly out of the way.

Harry rubbed his arm and stood a few feet away as Snape tried to open the door to no avail.

"What is this?" muttered Snape, his hands passing right through the doorknob each time.

Harry left him at it for a few more minutes, before walking over and smirking at Snape.

"If you're done now, we should figure out what we're going to do about this," Harry said.

Snape turned and glared at him.

"What do you suggest we do?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, you could start by apologizing," said Harry.

Snape just continued to glare at him, while still trying to open the door.

"I already told you it won't work," said Harry.

"Shut up, Potter," growled Snape.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of quick footsteps coming toward them. They both stared at the door for a moment. Harry was thinking about hiding, but before he could, the door burst open with a bang.

Harry backed away slowly, not wanting to scare whoever was here. Snape wasn't doing a very good job of this, however, as he was standing in the center of the room, his face frozen.

"Erm, hello, I know this is strange, but-" began Harry, but the person took no notice of him.

The person was a teenager, his greasy black hair hanging down past his eyes and blocking most of his face. He was extremely thin, his skin pale.

Harry didn't know why, but he felt as if he had seen this person before. That didn't make any sense did it? And why was he ignoring two strangers in the middle of his room?

As the person made his way toward the bed, he walked right through Snape. Harry's jaw dropped. What was going on?

As the teenager sat down on his bed, his curtain of hair fell off his face. Suddenly Harry knew where he had seen him before.

Snape's memories.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I haven't updated in a while, so sorry! But hopefully everyone will enjoy it :) And remember, Severus refers to the younger Snape, and Snape refers to the adult.

Harry stood, gaping, at the teenage Severus before him. He spun around to stare at Snape.

"That's you!" he exclaimed, looking between the two. The similarities were striking.

Snape looked rather irritated that Harry had made the connection. He turned his attention back to the door. He tried to turn the knob, but his hand went straight through it again. He raised his hand and pressed his palm to the solid oak of the door, but it didn't go through.

"Why are we here?" asked Harry.

Snape however, didn't say anything to him. His eyes swept around the small room. "That is a question I would like an answer to," he said, more to himself than to Harry.

While Snape strode about the room, his wand aloft, trying different spells to no avail, Harry turned his attention back to the Severus on the bed. The teenager had his wand in hand, pointed at the ceiling, and was shooting down the flies clustered around the light bulb.

Harry watched with a grin. "You know, sir, you could have been expelled for that," he said, turning toward Snape.

Snape merely shot him a withering look. Harry wondered what else he could find out about the young Snape.

Severus soon got bored off his little game and threw his wand onto a table by his bed, a look of utter boredom on his face.

But now Harry was beginning to get a bit worried. Sure, it was fun watching the teenage Snape, but they had to get back to Hogwarts. And it wasn't a good sign that the door couldn't open. Harry was just about to ask Snape what the plan was when a loud crashing noise from downstairs distracted him.

Severus looked up, a mixture of fear and apprehension on his face. Snape, who had been walking around the room, froze and turned toward the door. Harry could plainly see the livid look on his face.

"Sir? What's going on?" asked Harry, once again glancing between the two Snapes, who were clearly dreading whatever was making the sound.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard thundering up the stairs. Harry, starting to feel uncertainty rise in him, pulled out his wand. But then he remembered Snape's failed attempts to unlock the door with magic, and his stomach clenched.

The footsteps stopped outside the door and it opened with a loud bang. Clutching his wand tightly, Harry blinked as the source of the noise stepped into the small room.

He was a tall, large man with short black hair and a hooked nose. He was wearing muggle clothing and the smell of alcohol was coming off him strongly. Harry wrinkled his nose at the strong smell, and when the man walked, Harry found he was correct in assuming he was drunk.

The man stumbled toward Severus, who stood up, fists clenched at his side.

"Your mother's not home tonight, boy," slurred the man, his drunken gaze settling on Severus.

Severus didn't say anything, but merely lifted up his chin defiantly, which seemed to anger the man, whose face reddened with anger as he reached over and struck the boy on the face.

Severus gasped, and Harry could see a red mark shaped like a hand blossoming on his face. The man grabbed Severus by the arm and began dragging him across the room. Harry didn't know what was happened until he felt himself walking along behind the pair, Snape at his side.

The man wrenched open the door to the closet and threw Severus in, Harry and Snape right behind him, as though they were magnetically propelled to Severus.

"You can just stay in there all night. Maybe your mother will let you out when she gets home," sneered the man before shutting the door and blocking out all light. His footsteps faded away as he left the room.

Harry could hear the rough, uneven breathing of Severus as he lay on the floor near him. Snape hadn't said anything so far.

Harry didn't know what to think. He didn't like Snape, but he wouldn't have wished this on him. He knew what it felt liked to be locked up.

Harry felt a slight panic start to rise up in him at the cramped, dark space they were stuck in. Maybe it would be better if he talked to Snape.

"S-sir?" asked Harry tentatively.

"What do you want Potter? To laugh at me? I'm sure you find this all very amusing," snarled Snape, sounding downright dangerous.

"No sir. I just don't like being locked up very much," said Harry, his voice almost a whisper.

Snape paused before uttering the cutting retort he had been about to say. Potter actually sounded—afraid?

Snape didn't say anything, his mind buzzing. Why were they here? Was this all some scheme of Dumbledore's to bring him closer to the boy? If it were, it was ridiculous. This was the last place in the world he wanted to be, with or without Harry Potter.

There was no light in the closet. Harry leaned back against the wall, wrapping his arms around his legs. He couldn't see that it was the same thing Severus was doing.

Snape, who remained standing, saw the dark outlines of both Potter and his younger self doing the same thing. He turned away, but there really wasn't much room in the cramped closet, and his tall form barely fit, his head inches away from the ceiling.

Scowling, Snape awkwardly managed to sit himself next to his younger self and opposite Potter. He listened to both their rugged breathing, and despite himself felt an inkling of concern for Potter.

This event had triggered some memories for Harry. Memories of his younger self, at the Dursley household. Unbidden images of his uncle came to mind, images of smacks and shoves and being tossed in his cupboard.

"Potter, are you all right?" asked Snape suddenly.

"I'm fine, sir," said Harry quietly, making it clear he didn't want to talk.

Snape didn't say anything, but continued to scowl. It was going to be a long night.

A/N: So Snape will be learning more about Harry's past, just not right now. Review please :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey everyone :D Sorry I haven't updated in forever! But I actually have homework over the summer...yeah high school sucks. But hopefully everyone likes this next chapter!

They couldn't sleep. Although Severus fell asleep a few hours after their unmerciful throwing into the closet, Harry and Snape stayed up, Snape uncomfortably aware of the fact that he was in a closet with Harry Potter. The darkness was very deep around them, the only indication of the passing hours the thin strip of the room visible at the bottom of the door, which began to grow lighter as the time moved sluggishly by.

The heat was almost unbearable in the cramped space. Snape waited for Potter to complain about it, ready for a vicious retort if he did, not being in the mood to deal with a whining teenager. But Potter never said anything, so Snape had no outlet to vent his anger on.

Early morning came and went, with young Severus still asleep, only his greasy black hair visible as his face was in his arms.

Then, when it seemed that they would never get out, footsteps could be heard approaching them. Harry lifted his head out of his arms at the sound, listening intently. He thought for a moment that Snape's father had come back, but these steps were much lighter than the heavy ones of the drunk.

The closet was thrown open and light flooded it. Severus started and blinked in the bright light, and Harry did the same. Snape, however, barely blinked, his gaze fixed upon the woman before them, who was scowling down at Severus.

The scrawny woman had her lank hair tied up in a messy ponytail, and she looked downright haggard. Wearing what appeared to be a muggle waitress uniform, a pencil was stuck behind her ear. As Severus stood, stumbling slightly but steadying himself by grabbing the door frame, she spoke.

"Why must you make him so angry?" Her tone was mainly exasperation, but it seemed to be tinged with some other emotion that Harry could not place.

"I didn't do anything!" said Severus, outraged.

The woman continued to scowl, but her expression softened slightly as she said, "All right, all right. Just-just get out of the house for a bit. Your father's asleep and I'd like to keep it that way." Her tone seemed to change; she sounded defeated. Severus looked like he wanted to saw more about it, but, hearing his mother's tone, didn't press it.

The woman exited the room. A few minutes later Severus followed him, Snape and Harry in his wake.

By this time, Harry had figured out the woman was Snape's mother. Her words had stirred something in his memory, and he was to busy dwelling on it to pay much attention to the rest of the house as they passed it, with its dirty walls and crooked paintings, nor to the man snoring on the stained couch that they crept past.

As Severus's mother turned into the kitchen, Severus made his way outside onto the front porch. Harry was still lost in his memory.

_Harry was younger, perhaps ten or so. Everything was dark around him, and he was sitting on the ground. The house was quiet, much quieter than it had been yesterday. Harry shifted, wincing slightly as he pressed a careful hand to his face. It still hurt a bit. Suddenly, the dark cupboard was filled with light and a woman's outline filled the doorway. Squinting, Harry looked up at his aunt, who was in turn looking at him. _

_"Why did you have to do it, Harry?" she asked with a sigh. Harry didn't say anything. He knew he hadn't done anything. "Well, come out of there," she said, and Harry stood but nearly fell down afterward. She looked at him again, and then she left. Harry looked around, and a few moments later she returned with a popsicle. "Here," she said, handing it to him. "Now go into the backyard." _

_Harry was surprised, but licked it and went to sit down outside in the sunshine. His aunt was very strange. _

"What are you doing?" Snape snapped at Harry, who he noticed had an oddly glazed expression in his eyes.

"Huh?" asked Harry, blinking in confusion as he was pulled back to reality. "Uh nothing."

"Eloquent as always, Potter," said Snape, rolling his eyes.

Harry looked around him and realized that they were outside. Severus stood on the porch for a few moments before shoving his hands deep into his pockets and setting off down the street. As Harry and Snape followed him, Harry said the thought that came to the surface of his mind.

"You know, I like walking around. I usually walk around the neighborhood while I'm at my aunt and uncle's. Better than staying inside with them."

Snape gave him a strange look as he spoke, but didn't comment. Harry turned his attention to the houses around him. They were clearly in a muggle neighborhood, and as they walked the houses became nicer and nicer. Here and there a muggle would be mowing the lawn or children would be running through a sprinkler. Severus turned down a side street, taking a shortcut, and they emerged at a park.

Not that many people were at the park, perhaps because it was such a hot day. Harry briefly wondered if Severus was uncomfortable in his jeans and black t-shirt, the same ones clothes he had been wearing the night before, but the thought was soon driven out of his mind. As Snape took a seat on one of the swings, the few children that had been climbing on the monkey bars quickly left, so that Severus was all alone. As the sound of the children walking away chattering died down, someone approached.

At first, Severus didn't look up as the sound of the footsteps grew closer, perhaps assuming them to belong to the children who had just left. But Harry and Snape did look up, and both of them received a jolt as they looked at the girl who came near Severus.

She had an orange pop in her hand and was sipping at it as she came over. "Hey Sev!" she called cheerfully, bounding over to him.

Harry gaped at the scene before him. Had she just called him Sev? But that was not the only reason he was surprised. Because Harry knew who this girl was. Knew her even though he had never spoken to her, and had only known her for a year.

Harry would have known that red hair anywhere, the red hair that was thick and shining in the summer heat, would have been able to pick those almond-shaped eyes out of a crowd of a hundred.

Lily Evans had just approached Severus Snape.

A/N: Review make me happy ^.^


	5. Chapter 5

Harry felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. The teenage girl who had just sat down on the swing next to Severus was his mother. His dead mother. He wanted to call out to her, to talk to her, make contact, but he knew it was impossible. The girl standing before him had no idea that her future son was there. So he settled for watching her every move, his eyes widening behind his glasses as she spoke, the sound of her voice seemingly magnified times a hundred in his ears. All he wanted to do was sink down onto the ground and watch her, to fill the empty space inside of him, just as he had tried to do as a first year before the Mirror of Erised.

Snape was also watching, but the expression in his eyes was different. Pain was all he felt, stabbing at him as sharply and fiercely as a dose of the Cruciatis from Voldemort. Yet he watched, even though he didn't want to. Or did he?

"Hey Sev," repeated Lily as coiled an arm around the chain of the swing, digging the toes of her gym shoes into the woodchips of the park's ground.

"Hello Lily," answered Severus, his sour mood vanishing on the spot as his dark eyes looked up at Lily, an almost hungry expression alight in them.

"It's horridly hot out here, isn't it?" she remarked brightly, taking another sip out of her pop can. "Want some?" she asked, holding the can out to Severus, who accepted it, his hand brushing Lily's for the briefest of moments.

"Yes, it's very hot," remarked Severus, holding onto the pop can but not taking a drink from it.

"Everyone's probably taking a swim. Or staying inside," observed Lily, her eyes scanning the empty park. "I would be too, except Tuney and I fought again…" her voice trailed off at this, and Severus asked, "What about?"

Lily sighed. "The usual. We've been getting along fine all summer, but school's starting up again in a few weeks…."

Severus seemed to understand what she was talking about. "Ah," he said, frowning. "What did she say?"

"She said I shouldn't go back. That I was leaving her all alone, just like always, to go and be a freak," said Lily. She stopped looking around the park and dropped her gaze to her feet, kicking up some woodchips with the toe of her gym shoe.

"I just wish she'd understand, and that we could get along without all these fights. And it's bound to get worse as the summer ends."

Severus was quiet for a few moments. "She's never going to accept it," he said.

Lily sighed. "I know. She got so upset this morning when I told her I was going back. She threw a fit," she said with a frown. "Her voice gets awfully screechy when she's yelling," she added, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "And she pinched me! Look," she said, twisting her arm around and showing it to Severus, who saw that a small red mark was visible.

"I just want things to be like they used to be," she said quietly.

Severus seemed at a loss for words, so he settled for handing her back her pop, which he had never even taken a drink from. His eyes lit up when their hands briefly touched, but Lily didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks," she said quietly, taking a sip from it, more to have something to do than because she was actually thirsty, but then reached over and threw it into a nearby trash can.

Severus, hearing an airplane passing overhead, looked up at the sky. Lily also looked up briefly, and as she was lowering her head she caught sight of Severus's face properly for the first time.

"What happened to your face?" she asked sharply, her eyes upon the dark bruise that marred his pale skin.

"What?" he asked, pretending not to know what she was talking about.

"He's done it again, hasn't he?" she asked, anger flaring up in her voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about," answered Severus, breaking their eye contact and staring out across the park.

"Don't play dumb. I know he hit you again," she said sharply.

Severus didn't say anything for a while. "I fell," he said flatly.

"Don't lie to me, Severus," she said.

They were quiet for a long time, before Lily finally stood up. "I'm leaving, seeing as you don't want to tell me the truth," she said, her voice filled with emotion.

Severus let out a sigh, but didn't chase after the figure of Lily, who was now running home, the sound of her gym shoes slapping the pavement growing fainter and fainter as the minutes ticked by.

Harry, who had turned his head to watch the retreating figure of Lily, looked back at Severus, but without really seeing him. He slowly came back to himself, as though he were waking up from a particularly vivid dream.

"She was beautiful," he said quietly.

Snape gave him an odd look at that comment. "Yes she was. But did you really have to gape at her like that? You looked idiotic," said Snape nastily.

Harry blinked. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I've just never seen her like that."

"What are you talking about? I'm sure you've seen plenty of pictures of your mother," said Snape.

Harry shook his head. "Only the ones from Hagrid. And there's none of her from when she was my age."

Snape looked at him curiously. "And what of the ones from your aunt? Are you pretending those aren't real pictures?" asked Snape, who knew that Lily's parents had doted on their two children, incessantly taking pictures at every possible opportunity.

"She never showed me any," said Harry, looking away.

Snape looked at Harry, his expression calculating. Snape didn't think the boy was lying, and he was an excellent judge of when people were telling him the truth. Snape knew that Petunia didn't like her sister, but did she really hate Lily enough to withhold pictures of her from her only son?

Snape was about to comment on this when Harry said, "So you knew my mother." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "Yes," replied Snape.

Harry was being quiet. Too quiet for Snape's liking, who was used to the boy who interrupted his Potions lectures by whispering to his little friends.

"Then Tuney was my aunt?" he asked. Snape nodded.

Harry smiled bitterly. "I thought so. Sounds like she hasn't changed much," he said.

"And what do you mean by that?" asked Snape, feeling a slight concern despite himself.

"Nothing," said Harry quietly.

But Snape was not reassured. He felt uneasy for reasons he didn't quite know. He was about to ask Potter something, but Severus stood up from the swing and started walking. Harry and Snape were compelled to follow him, the sky darkening around them as they followed Severus, whose shoulders were slumped, as he made his way back toward the place that he didn't quite call home.


	6. Chapter 6

Darkness was beginning to fall as they walked home, the stars beginning to shine as though they were lights that someone was turning on, one at a time. Harry and Snape walked side by side, both of them deep in thought. Turning down a side street, hands still deep in his pockets, Severus led the pair through what was evidently a shortcut to the Snape house. He led the way up toward the front door, kicking aside some stray garbage before easing the door open.

Loud voices were heard coming from the kitchen. Severus froze on the doorway, his hand still resting on the door. Closing it quietly, he flinched as he heard a loud bang coming from the kitchen. Peering in, he could see his mother and father clearly engaged in a shouting match. The banging seemed to be coming from his father, who pounded his fist down on the wooden table, upturning several bottles.

Severus quickly turned and walked up the stairs, his hands shaking slightly. He entered his room, shut the door, and made his way over to his bed. Kicking off his shoes, he lay down, closing his eyes tightly. Maybe he was trying to block out the muffled sounds coming from below, but that would be rather hard to do. His breath was coming out in short, ragged, sighs, and Harry got the impression that he was trying hard not to cry.

Snape and Harry just stood there, watching the boy before them. As Harry watched him drift off into sleep, hearing his breaths get easier and easier, he felt something stir within him. He actually felt bad for Snape. But it wasn't just that. He felt…he understood what Snape was going through. How many times had he lain in his room, after a particularly bad fight with his relatives, trying not to cry? The scene before him was all too familiar, and it was a bit frightening to think he had something in common with Snape.

As his younger self drifted off to sleep before him, Snape lifted his gaze to Potter, who he was surprised to see was watching the boy with an odd look on his face that Snape couldn't quite place. He had braced himself for jeering insults from Potter. After all, that's exactly what his father would have done. And he was so like his father.

"I'm sorry."

The words were whispered, so quiet that Snape barely heard them. But they had been said, and by Potter. Jolted out of his nasty thoughts about James Potter (which had been easier to dwell on than the situation before him) Snape was surprised, to say the least.

"What did you just say?" Snape asked, not sure if he was imaging things.

"I'm sorry," repeated Harry, lifting his eyes up to Snape's. Snape was surprised to see genuine emotion in them. So like Lily's…

"What do you mean?" asked Snape, his normally sharp mind feeling like it were going in slow motion.

Harry paused before he answered, sucking in a long breath and letting it out slowly. "I…I just don't think it's fair. Any of it."

Snape raised an eyebrow. What had gotten into the boy? What was he talking about?

"I don't think you should have had to deal with this. Or that anyone should have to deal with this. Your relatives are supposed to take care of you."

Snape stared at Potter for a moment, his gaze calculating. Where was this coming from? Potter still had an odd look on his face, and Snape didn't like it.

"You do not need to be sorry. This is all the past, and nothing can change what has happened," said Snape slowly, watching Potter.

"Still," muttered Harry, not looking at Snape anymore. "It's not right."

"I know," said Snape quietly, feeling uneasy. Potter was speaking and acting far to understanding about this for Snape's liking. He continued to watch him closely, and felt concern when Potter, after a loud shout from downstairs, flinched, then closed his eyes.

"Potter?" asked Snape, drawing a bit closer to him. "Is something wrong?"

Harry looked up at him, looking a bit startled to see him watching him. He shook his head, muttering, "I just don't like yelling very much."

Snape studied him carefully for a minute, not sure how to proceed. From the time they had spent together, Snape had gathered that Potter was hiding something. After all, as he himself was so good at hiding things, he knew what to look for in other people. Snape had tried to ignore the hints that everything was not as it should be with Potter, but was something seriously wrong? Echoes of the brief conversations they had engaged in ran through his mind. Was something wrong with Potter's home life? Surely not…Albus would know. _But he didn't know about yours, did he? _Asked a voice in Snape's head.

Snape took another step closer to Potter, closing the gap between them. But what was he supposed to say? Just as he was about to speak, a loud, booming noise from downstairs made him turn his head, and young Severus awoke with a start.


End file.
